Eva Moskowitz jumps into teaching aide fray
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In an editorial in today’s Daily News, Eva Moskowitz weighs in on the controversial decision by the Department of Education to clamp down on parent associations paying for non-union teaching aides in their children’s classrooms. Her take? Schools benefit from parent fund-raising that helps lower class size, especially in middle class schools which get less funding than those with a high percentage of low income students. She posits, “The UFT doesn’t like it because these aspiring teachers aren’t union members.”
Commenters on Insideschools have been debating the merits of the practice, which according to the New York Times, only affects about 18 highly desirable city schools. Some argue that this is “another example of Bloomberg steamrolling important parent input,” that will “drive more middle class [families] out of the city. ” Others argue that, “It’s a public system and there should be a level playing field.” A few commenters suggest ways in which schools across the city can “pool fundraising.” Others note the role of the powerful teachers union, which filed a grievance last fall about the hiring practice.
Moskowitz, a former chair of the New York City Council Education Committee, now runs a network of high-performing charter schools, Harlem Success Academy Charter Schools. Interestingly, a New York Times article earlier this week reports the efforts of teachers at some charter schools to unionize, noting that charter school teachers frequently work much longer hours than their counterparts at public schools. Wonder whether there is any union movement on the part of Harlem Success teachers?
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Should schools be penalized if parents are involved at some schools more than others? NO! So why does it matter if they foot the bill for aides? Isn’t it essentially the same thing?
Comment by Lauren Young — July 29, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
I still don’t understand why any parent thinks this is a good idea. Because it somehow punishes those schools with active PTAs? It’s not like the schools with PTA funded aides are taking anything away from other schools? What is so wrong with parents trying to do what they can to help ease overcrowding at their childs school?
Comment by Anonymous — July 29, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
What is most irksome about much of the reporting on the topic, which Moskowitz made clear, is that the teaching assistants are actually working towards becoming teachers, usually in the midst of getting their Masters degrees. Most articles fail to point out the disingenousness of somehow equating these assistants with paraprofessionals, who have neither the education or aspirations of the TA’s. By union regs paras roles are defined and while they may assist in a class, there’s no pedagogical aspect to what they can offer. TA’s and paras are not equal entities, they’re two different roles.
Comment by fascinated — July 29, 2009 @ 5:34 pm
separate but equal guess not
Comment by hate TWEED — July 30, 2009 @ 10:02 am